the Tie pt. 2

Since my article about the Stefanobigi tie I have been receiving quite a few questions with regards to ties in general.

To the people whom asked, I must first of all say it’s really humbling. I am grateful, don’t get me wrong, but I am really not an expert on the matter. Still exploring and trying what works and not.

I had a two week hiatus due to, well, life, and this was originally a post intended a while back, but admittedly it is already aging badly. There are some tie-related strings being drawn and I need to get this out seeing as another post might be around the corner soon. On that note I have to address a big thank you in the direction of a certain Danish gentleman and his advice.

But still, being the case that I started writing this, I thought it would be a good opportunity to write a part two, continuing in the tie realm of menswear. 

First of all, most of the ties I have aren’t particularly pricy or something to get your neck twisted over, but seeing as for instance one question was concerned with which neckties I like, I figure if I write this now it might be interesting to look back at and compare in a year or two and see if I’ve managed to level up or if any of my opinions has changed.

And lastly, don’t we all love to write about stuff we like.

Let’s call this my freshman year contribution, seeing as the first one was about one particular necktie only. 

I will expand a little on the subject of ties using some of the questions as a base. 

The questions where mainly focused around three topics so I took the liberty to rearrange and combine some of the questions I received, but the essence is still the same.

Anyway, here goes.

What’s a good price range?

Seeing as I think answering “how much are your ties” becomes somewhat ambiguous I think talking about a price range depending on what you expect to get in return is a better way to go forward.

The ties I own were anywhere from ¥5.000 to ¥30.000 (€35-250), as such, there’s not much help in that answer. In the end how much to spend on a tie depends on your budget and how much you want it. 

To narrow it down I would say between ¥10.000-18.000 (€50-100) is a good place to start. 

I would advice against spending more before you know which length and broadness you prefer and so on. In other words get some experience.

By the way, you’ll notice that these aren’t converted rates between euro and yen, but rather corresponding price ranges (neckties aren’t cheap in Japan).

I won’t lie, although you can find nice looking ties at any price point, the pricier neckties I find to be a lot better. Of course they look to be of better quality but also, most noticeably, a little more refined and well thought through.

I think as for recommendations in the mid price range, brands like Altea, Paolo Albizzati and Errico Formicola all offers some great neckties where you get a lot of value for your money. 

With these you’ll be able to find really nice designs and good quality without necessarily completely emptying your bank. 

In addition, Rosso Milano, Atkinsons and Holliday & Brown is worth having a look at.

What I find all these brands have in common is that they’re not very expensive but the ties are at a quality level where you won’t have mismatching of patterns/stripes and the quality of fabric is fairly good.

Once you go beyond the aforementioned price point you’ll get quality in almost all cases. 

I would add though, that for Japan one should be aware of additional cost depending on which store you are buying from. What I mean by this is that a lot of stores like United Arrows, Tomorrowland and Ships stock the same necktie brands. You might find the exact same necktie or pocket square, or at least the same fabric/pattern, from, let’s say Nicky, but the price might be completely different at United Arrows than previously mentioned Tomorrowland. 

Of course, there is also the option of going second-hand and you can find some really nice looking ties for 10% of what you normally would pay.

Which of your neckties came in second, third and fourth? 

This question (or the essence of it) was the most recurring question. 

It’s actually more difficult to answer than one might expect. But I have a few that sticks out.

I have to say second place belongs to my two Arcuri neckties. The two are the exact same tie but in two different colorways. These were on the pricier side but they are amazing and worth every penny. 

These is are linen ties with a repeated geometric pattern. Beyond being beautiful neckties, the knot more or less ties itself. I don’t think I own any other necktie that is as easy to deal with as these two.

As for third place, this Paolo Albizzati necktie is a clear winner. 

I love brown and green suits and this necktie goes perfectly with either brown or green. Seeing as most of my suits and jackets are in some shade of brown and quite a few green, I get a lot of wear out of this tie and others similar to it. It’s also quite muted so as to not be too flashy even though it’s in a kind of yellowish beige tone.

Fourth place! Last on this list. This is also an easy one, but seeing as I’ve just recently received a couple of new ties, fourth place might have ended on a different note if I had the wears to better judge the new ones.

But I have to give this one to Cesare Attolini. Once again a tie I have in two colorways, but particularly this green one is a solid favourite. 

It’s yet another tie that is incredibly versatile, looking particularly great with brown, tan and navy suits and jackets.

As for the neckties that just dropped in the mailbox (actually in Japan they deliver to your door), this one from Nicky could easily be my choice for the last spot based on the look. 

Which are your favourite brands for neckties?

Last question for the day. This is an easier one because there are two that comes to mind instantly. First one might not come as a surprise but, Stefanobigi. Not just the tie(s) I mentioned in the former article, but generally I really like their ties.

The other brand is Salvatore Piccolo.

I really like how there’s a casualness to the Salvatore Piccolo ties, despite the fact that they make ties in an array of colors and patterns. Must be the Neapolitan vibe shining through. This Neapolitan necktie maker also has the perfect length in my opinion. 

The third one I would mention is Nicky.

I have quite a few of their ties and although this of course has to do with the fact that I personally mostly have some type of striped ties from them, I find them to be very easy to pair. In any case, good quality ties.

I find that Nicky, as well as Stefanobigi, really does patterns well. Most often somewhat muted and not over the top. 

Lastly. Seeing as they were on my favourite tie list, I’ll have to add Cesare Attolini and Arcuri, even though I only have the aforementioned neckties from the two respective brands. I’ve had a look at what they have to offer and it’s highly likely I will expand my collection with these two brands. 

Lastly, as a summary or rather a side note, I received a couple of comments from close friends which I think is better left for your imagination, haha. But I’ll use them as inspiration for this last part.

My daily wear/outfit ideas that I started posting on instagram was something I was very reluctant to do at first. It actually took quite a bit of convincing and it was definitely not my idea. 

Admittedly I’m taking the easy route seeing as I’m only posting torso shots and even just that is not something that comes easy to me. 

But, since I started doing that, I’ve found more inspiration to try out new combinations, ties I don’t wear that often and matching with different pocket squares, shirts, and suits and jackets.

Seeing as this also pushes an aim to not repeat myself, even if just swapping pocket squares, I feel more inspired to experiment a little more than I usually would, finding new combinations. 

Although I put this in this article about ties I think it is a good advice in general. Take photos of outfit ideas, even if you don’t show them to anyone. It’s quite helpful to better see what works and what doesn’t. Last but not least for me, not to mention crossing that barrier that once kept me from wearing neckties. 

Adding to this advice, following accounts on instagram and pinterest and people who’s style you enjoy and relate to is an excellent way to find inspiration and up your own game.